Aftershock
by twinkletoestbh
Summary: When Sophie Foster is kidnapped by the Neverseen, the entire Elvin community believes she's dead. For almost a month, her family and friends attempt to cope with her death in their own ways. Follow them through anger and abandonment, devastation and despair, and betrayal and bewilderment as they learn to love, to lose, and to move on. Rated T for the Fitz chapter.
1. PROLOGUE

**So...I actually have a plot plan for this one! Yay me! But I'm not quite sure if I like it, or if it's a waste of time. Please comment and tell me what you think! For now...ENJOY! :)**

**PROLOGUE**

"WHAT HAPPENED?" GRADY CALLED WHEN he spotted her, but she didn't acknowledge him. She threw her satchel on the ground and ran straight for the caves.

"Sophie, wait!" Edaline called.

Sophie kept going, but Edaline was faster than she looked, and in a minute she'd caught up with her. She offered a small furball. "In case you need a friend."

Iggy fluttered to her shoulder and Sophie wiped away a tear. "Thanks."

Edaline nodded. "Be careful down there. Looks like a storm's coming."

Sophie hadn't noticed the gray sky, but it seemed appropriate given her mood. She climbed down the cliff and wandered deep into the cave, reveling in the thick, gloomy darkness. She noticed a shard of rock on the ground and hurtled it at the wall. The clatter as it shattered into smaller bits was oddly soothing.

She threw another stone, and another, relishing the clang of each as they were pulverized to smithereens. When there were no rocks left, she kicked the edge of the nearest boulder until her foot throbbed. Dirty, panting, and in more than a little pain, she collapsed to the ground, feeling the tears she'd been holding back bubble over. She buried her face in her hands and gave into them, letting the violent sobs shake her body. She felt Iggy trembling next to her, frightened by her irrational behavior, but she didn't care.

Her life had officially fallen apart.

She had no friends. No family. Facing exile and expulsion.

She was totally and completely alone.

It was at that moment—when she thought things couldn't possibly get any worse—that they did.

A pair of arms pulled her to her feet and smothered her scream with a meaty hand. She tried to fight back, but a cloaked figure swooped out of the shadows and shoved a cloth over her mouth and nose. Something sickeningly sweet burned her throat and nostrils and her head instantly clouded.

A sedative.

She held her breath and kicked with all her might, but she couldn't escape the iron grasp, and she couldn't hold her breath much longer.

"Sophie?" Dex called, his voice echoing against the walls. "Are you in here? Fitz told me I should come find you."

The figure holding her cursed, and Sophie rallied her concentration.

_Run, Dex!_ she transmitted.

She was too late.

She heard the scuffle, but her head was swirling too much from the drug to make sense of it. Then the arms holding her jerked away, and she crumpled to the ground as someone yelped. A ball of fur scuttled away.

Iggy!

He must've bit her captor.

_Go get help!_ she transmitted, hoping he understood what she meant. He scurried out of the cave, so she took that as a good sign.

She tried to get up, but she was too weak. One of the figures grabbed her arm, squeezing so hard it cut off her circulation. "Let go," she rasped, surprised at how the drug affected her voice. Dex moaned behind her and she turned toward the sound.

A third figure had Dex with a viselike grip, and clearly no amount of struggling or fighting would help him escape. She held Dex's panicked stare as her captor pulled her to her feet and covered her mouth with his hand. "Drug them now!" he ordered in a deep voice.

"Both of them?" the figure holding Dex asked. "I thought we only wanted the girl?"

"We can't leave any evidence!" He turned to the second figure, who was already soaking the cloth with a small vial. "You said she only came here alone!"

"She does!"

They'd been watching her.

She watched in horror as the figure covered Dex's mouth and nose with the drugged cloth. His eyes held hers as he struggled against the sedative, but after a minute his head lolled and his body fell limp.

"Get his pendant," the one holding her ordered.

There was an ominous snap as Dex's registry necklace came free in his hand. Then he returned to Sophie, holding the cloth over her face. "Let's try this again."

Her nose burned and her head spun, and the last thing she felt was a tug on her neck as her pendant—her only hope of being tracked down and rescued—was ripped off her neck.


	2. BIANA

**BIANA**

SHE HADN'T WANTED SOPHIE TO find out that way. Actually, she hadn't wanted Sophie to find out at all. Because while her dad might have forced her to be friends with Sophie in the beginning, now Sophie was her best friend. For real. And after all they'd been through, she'd probably ruined it forever.

"Why would you say that Stina?" Biana exploded. "You know we're actually friends now!"

"Miss Vacker!" the study hall monitor, Lord Astin, called. "Keep your voice down. This is study hall, not PE!"

Biana closed her mouth, but continued glaring at Stina.

As soon as Lord Astin looked away, Stina opened her eyes really wide, feigning surprise and ignorance. "Oh," she whispered. "I was just trying to help. After all, she's bringing you down with her. I though the Vackers were supposed to be high class." Stina scoffed, flipped her hair, then signaled for her minions to follow her to another table.

Biana slammed her head onto the table, drawing the attention of the prodigies closest to her and Lord Astin. "Miss Vacker, you've just earned yourself a detention. I've never seen you act this way, and I sincerely hope this doesn't become a pattern with you."

Just then, Fitz stormed into the room. "Biana!" he shouted. "What did you do?"

"Mr. Vacker—" Lord Astin started, but Fitz ignored him.

"Dex, Biana, out in the hall," Fitz ordered. "Now!"

"Mr. Vacker, I'm afraid this is very unorthodox and I can't—"

"Lord Astin, I apologize for interrupting your study hall, but there's been an emergency, and I need to borrow those two." With that, Fitz stormed out of the room.

Dex immediately bounced up, the surprise of being summoned by a Vacker throwing him into supersonic mode. But Biana sat frozen for a few moments before she flushed a deep maroon, quickly gathering her books together and hurrying outside after her brother and Dex. Whatever her brother had to say, it wasn't good. And it was probably about how she'd ruined her friendship with Sophie.

As she passed Stina's table she shot her a death glare and purposefully knocked her books off the table. Walking out of the pyramid she could hear Stina complaining to Lord Astin about being bullied by "mean old Biana." That was probably another detention, but she honestly didn't care.

"Biana!" Fitz yelled as soon as she came into view. "How could you tell Sophie that?"

"I didn't!" she cried, feeling the need to defend herself. "Stina came up and said that Maruca had told her a secret, and I couldn't stop her from telling Sophie!"

Keefe jogged up. "Dex just leapt to Havenfield," he told Fitz, glancing nervously at Biana.

"Why did Dex go to Havenfield?" she asked Keefe, trying to avoid meeting Fitz's eyes, which burned with disappointment.

"He went to try and stop Sophie from doing whatever crazy thing she was thinking of doing," Keefe said. "So what happened? Because I was feeling some serious rage and betrayal. And maybe even a little bit of despair in there."

"Biana told Sophie that my dad made Biana become friends with her," Fitz spat.

"I already told you!" Biana screamed. "It was Stina and Maruca! It wasn't my fault!" She collapsed onto the ground and started sobbing. Everyone was mad at her. Sophie would probably never talk to her again, Fitz was blaming her for everything, and Keefe…Keefe was looking at her with something like pity. She just needed a friend, not some stupid pity party. Biana sniffed and attempted to pull herself together. "I'm going home, she announced to no one in particular as she wiped her eyes and stood. Then she pulled out her home crystal and leapt to Everglen.

When she got home, she ran past her parents and straight up to her room, where she slammed the door and sprawled across her bed.

"Biana," her mother called through the door. "Are you alright? Why are you home from school so early?"

In response Biana hurled one of her numerous pillows at the door. It hit with a satisfying "plop!" So she threw another one. And then two more. The seventh or eighth pillow she threw received an "oomph!" instead of a "plop!"

"Go away!" she called immediately, throwing another pillow for good measure.

"Obviously something's wrong, but there's no reason to be mauling your pillows, Biana," her father scolded gently. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

If anyone could fix things, it would be her dad. "R-remember when you t-told me I had to be friends with S-Sophie?" Biana hiccupped through her last pillow.

Her father sighed. "Did Sophie find out?" he asked knowingly, sitting next to her and gently rubbing her back.

"Y-yes. Stina t-told her t-today, and now everything's r-ruined," she wailed, dissolving back into uncontrollable sobs.

Her dad let her calm down a little before continuing. "Sophie is a good friend, and a nice girl. I'm sure she'll forgive you. You're just going to need to give her a little time."

Biana threw her arms around her dad's neck and hugged him tightly. "I j-just feel s-s-s-so baaaad." Biana started sobbing again, and Alden just held her to his chest and rocked her gently.

"Shh," he told her. "There's no reason to worry. I promise."


	3. GRADY

**GRADY**

"ARE YOU SURE WE SHOULDN'T go check on her?" Grady asked Edaline for the tenth time, glancing nervously at the Cliffside pasture, where the entrance to the caves was.

Edaline shook her head. "No," she answered for the tenth time. "Sophie needs some time to process whatever it was that happened—"

"Aunt Edaline! Uncle Grady!" a voice called. Grady whirled around and spotted his nephew, Dex, sprinting toward them.

"Dex!" Grady called, smiling. He hadn't seen his nephew in a while. Sophie said they'd gotten in a fight or something. Then he frowned. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

Dex skidded to a stop in front of them. "Where's Sophie? It's really important! Actually, I don't know if it's really important. But it was important enough for Wonderboy to pull me out of study hall."

"Wonderboy?" Grady asked, sharing an amused glance with Edaline.

"Fitz. Fitz Vacker. He…well, it's a long story. So where is she?"

"She just headed down to the caves," Edaline answered, pointing in the direction of the Cliffside pasture.

"But you probably should leave her alone—" Grady started, but Dex sprinted off before he could finish.

Edaline looked amused at his objection. "So, what?" he asked. "Dex gets to go talk to her, and I don't?"

"Exactly," Edaline laughed.

"How does that make any sense?" Grady asked. "We're her adoptive parents!"

Edaline's expression grew pained. "Grady…"

Grady remembered. The adoption. They'd cancelled it.

"Do you think we made the right choice?" Edaline asked him, clutching her chest as if the thought brought her physical pain.

Grady wrapped his arms around her. Of course they hadn't made the right choice. Sophie was an amazing girl, and he was going to regret letting her go for the rest of his life. But Alden and Della would take care of her,she'd be happy as a Vacker. They didn't deserve her, and she didn't deserve selfish parents that were just trying to replace their dead daughter. But he didn't want to say that, because Edaline didn't need any more regret. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to lie to her. "I don't know," he answered, stroking her long, auburn hair.

"I don't think we did," she whispered into his shoulder.

The wind was picking up around them, and fat rain drops were starting to fall. "We need to get inside," he told his wife. "You're going to make yourself sick."

"You get the tools rounded up," Edaline instructed, wiping her eyes and pulling back. "I'll go check on Sophie and Dex."

Grady gave her a quick kiss before collecting the tools and taking them around to the other side of the barn. The verminion hissed as he passed it, and he laughed. It had a strong will, he'd give it that much. But it was going to be hard to get it ready for relocation to the Sanctuary.

When he stepped back outside, the rain was so heavy he could hardly see ten feet in any direction. And it was so dark it seemed like it was night. He hurried back to the house, expecting to see Edaline and the children. But the house was empty. Where were they? He opened the front door and looked out into the storm. He could barely make out a small figure running toward him. Edaline.

He ran out to meet her. "Where are the kids?" he asked, frantically searching behind her for any sign of them.

"They weren't back at the house?" Edaline asked, shouting to be heard over the wind.

Grady shook his head. "No. Weren't down in the caves?"

"Oh, Grady. Th-The tide was so high! And the caves were completely submerged! I don't know what to do!" She wiped her puffy eyes, but the rain was so heavy he couldn't tell the tears from raindrops.

"I'll go check the caves again," Grady told her. "Get back to the house and hail Alden. I might need help."

Edaline nodded her head and hurried back to the house as Grady headed for the caves. Sophie and Dex had to be okay. They just had to!

But when he got to the path that lead from the Cliffside pasture to the small beach, he started to get nervous. The waves were large and dangerous, so tall they hit the rock wall almost halfway to the top. And the caves were almost completely submerged, the waves crashing inside and pulling out large rocks. If the kids hadn't managed to get up the path before the storm had started, they could have been pulled out to sea.

"Sophie!" he called, the words snatched away by the wind before he even finished. "Dex! Sophie! Can you hear me? Where are you? Sophie! Dex?"

He kept shouting as he eased his way down the path, trying to get to the caves.

Suddenly, a strong hand gripped the back of his tunic and pulled him backwards up the path.

"Stop!" he shouted, thrashing about until the hand let go.

"What do you think you're doing?" Alden shouted. "You're going to die if you go any farther!"

"I have to find Sophie and Dex!" Grady answered, turning to go back down the path.

"No!" Alden cried. "They were in the caves?"

Grady nodded. "I have to find them!"

Alden looked sick. "Grady, if they didn't get out in time, there's nothing we can do."

"No!" Grady shouted. "I can save them! They're still alive! I just have to—"

"Grady!" Alden's strong voice snapped him out of his panic. "Did you check any of the other pastures or the forest? They could have gotten lost in the darkness and wandered off in the wrong direction."

Grady shook his head to clear it. "Of course. They're probably just taking shelter with the dwarves or something."

Alden nodded, and slowly grabbed Grady's arm ,like he was dealing with a wild animal that might be easy spooked. "Now let's just head back up the path and check up there."

With one last look at the submerged caves, Grady followed Alden back to safety.


	4. ALDEN

**ALDEN**

GETTING GRADY OFF THE PATH WAS more difficult than he'd expected. But then again, he hadn't known that Sophie and Dex had been in the caves. And right now, their chances weren't looking very good. But he'd never tell Grady that. The poor elf was already at his limits. Alden led Grady back into the house and met a frantic Edaline.

"Did you find them?" she asked, looking out the door into the storm.

"No," Alden answered, "but I'm sure they're with the gnomes or something," he lied. "No reason to worry."

Edaline didn't relax at all. "But what if they didn't make it out of the cave and the tide caught them and pulled them out to sea? Or what if they were on the path and got pulled out to sea? Can they swim in this kind of storm? Has Dex ever had swimming lessons? Has Sophie ever had swimming lessons?"

Alden pulled out his Imparter as Edaline continued rattling off questions and worst case scenarios. "Show me Elwin."

"Hello?" Elwin asked as his face appeared.

"Elwin, I'm at Havenfield. We've had a complication, and I'm going to need some sedatives," Alden said quietly. "Can you come right now?"

"Sure. What happened?"

"I'll tell you when you get here."

"Be there in a few minutes. Just let me get my supplies together."

Elwin disappeared and Alden looked back up at his friends. Edaline was pacing back and forth, still talking to herself, and Grady was sitting on their couch, staring vacantly off into space. They were calm—for now.

"Show me Councillor Emery."

"Alden," the Councillor smiled. "What can I do for you today?"

Alden walked into the kitchen so the Ruewens couldn't hear him. "There's been a complication at Havenfield."

"What kind of complication?" Councillor Emery asked, his easy smile disappearing.

"Sophie Foster and Dex Dizznee were in one of the beach caves when a storm started. I haven't been able to perform a thorough sweep of the property yet, but it's not looking good."

"Dear God," Councillor Emery said, rubbing his face with his hand. "I expect you want a team of Goblins to help you search."

"That would be appreciated."

"Of course," Councillor Emery said, but his mind was obviously miles away. "Is there anything else?"

"No," Alden said. All the other problems he could deal with himself.

"Good luck," Councillor Emery told him. Then his haunted face disappeared.

"Show me Della." Alden's wife's beautiful face appeared.

"Alden!" She beamed. "Where are you? You just disappeared."

"Honey, I'm not going to be home in time for dinner." He looked over at Edaline, who was still pacing.

"What's the matter?" Della asked, her smile immediately disappearing.

"There's been a bit of a complication at Havenfield," he answered. "There's no reason to worry, but they're going to need me to be here for a while. I'll hail you as soon as I can."

"Okay," Della answered. "I'll save you some dinner. But Alden, be careful. Love you!" She blew him a kiss before the Imparter turned off.

He stood staring at the empty space where his wife's face had been. He was extremely nervous for the children. There was no way they could survive being pulled out to see in this storm. If only he hadn't made Biana become friends with Sophie, and they'd become friends one their own…

No. He needed to think more clearly. Running a hand through his hair to wake himself up, he reminded himself of the dangers of feeling guilt. He was an Emissary for the Council. He needed to be calm and professional even in the face of a crisis.

Alden almost dropped his Imparter as the loud knock echoed through the silent house. "One moment please," he said, crossing the room and opening the door. "I'm so glad you could come."


	5. ELWIN

**OMG! I am so sorry guys! I'm such a bad author. I completely forgot about you guys! I promise-at least I'll try-not to do this again! It's been like a month. I got sick, and then we had standardized testing for school, and I'm in a play, and my dance studio just put on their major spring production. It's been CRAZY! But that's no , sorry again. In fact, I'm so sorry I'm going to double post. And I'll try to update my other stories tonight too. Love you all!**

**ELWIN**

HE'D BEEN EATING DINNER WITH Bullhorn when Alden hailed him. Assuming it was another Sophie emergency, he immediately grabbed his medical bags and hurried to Havenfield. Appearing at the end of the long walk, he jogged across the property until the house came into view. The bad storm and strong winds slowed his progress, and they seemed to foreshadow something ominous. But nothing would have caused him to expect the scene when he walked through the door.

"I'm so glad you came," Alden said, ushering him out of the rain.

"Is Sophie upstairs?" Elwin asked, barely registering Edaline and Grady on the couch.

"I'm going to need sedatives for Edaline and Grady," Alden said, but not quietly enough. Edaline shot off the couch, suddenly roused from her shocked stupor.

"I don't need a sedative," she argued. "I need to be out there searching for my daughter!"

"Sophie's missing?" Elwin asked, the last hint of color draining from his face.

"Yes," Alden said. "But the Council is sending a team of goblins to assist with the search for the children, and—"

"Wait," Elwin interrupted. "Children? As in plural."

"Sophie and Dex were in the caves," Edaline stuttered, stumbling toward them as she attempted to control the sobs wracking her body. "Before we realized it the storm had flooded the caves. Please," she grasped the edge of Elwin's cape and clung as though it were her only tether to this world, "you must help us find her."

The half-desperate, half-insane glint in Edaline's large turquoise eyes convinced Elwin that she was going to need an extra-strong dose of slumberberry tea. It would knock her out long enough for Alden to find the children, and by then, she'd be back in her right mind.

"Listen, both of you," Elwin said, leading Edaline back to the couch and sitting her next to Grady. "I'm sure Alden is going to do everything in his power to find the children. But for now, we need to be sure you're not going to do anything crazy—"

"You mean like go find my daughter?" Grady roared. Then a pained expression flashed across his face, and he doubled over as if he'd been hit in the stomach.

As Elwin looked up, he could see identical expressions on the faces of Edaline and Alden. But he shook off his curiosity. "Exactly," he told Grady gently. "But Alden will find them—"

"Then why isn't he out there doing anything?" Grady asked, but the volatility had passed.

"Because he's too worried about you to to leave the house," Elwin scolded. "So I'm suggesting two doses of slumberberry tea."

"I want to help," Grady said, shooting up off the couch. "I can help look. I don't want to sit here and do nothing."

"Neither do I," Edaline said, standing stubbornly beside her husband.

Elwin's endless patience was wearing thin. "Don't you see? You're going to drink the tea—that's not debatable—but the sooner you drink it, the sooner Alden and his search party can do their job."

"Grady took one last obstinate look toward the door, then followed Edaline and Elwin into the kitchen. As soon as it was clear his friends were in capable hands, Alden ran out to join the search.

It took longer than planned to get them to bed, but after their initial stubborn outbursts, Grady and Edaline didn't give Elwin any trouble. They obediently drank their tea and headed up to bed.

But then, there was nothing to do but wait. Elwin paced the enormous hall, occasionally peeking out the front door to see if he could find anything out. But the rain was too heavy and the sky too dark. He stayed there—pacing—all through the night.

Just as he'd made up his mind to go find Alden and demand to help with the search, Alden burst through the front door. The soft colors of the sunrise silhouetted the other elf, and Elwin took that as a good omen. "Did you find them?"

Then he noticed the sick expression on Alden's face and the way his hand was clenched tightly around what at first appeared to be sticks. Then Elwin recognized them as strings. Strings used on registry pendants.

"No," Elwin gasped, sinking to his knees. "They can't truly be gone."

Alden choked back a sob and collapsed on the couch across the room. "I think I might need some of that slumberberry tea as well, Elwin. After this, I'm sure I won't sleep for decades."


	6. WYLIE

**See? I told you I'd double post! Just because I love you all so much. And it's even from Wylie's point of view! What a treat! *laughs at herself* Anyways, love ya and enjoy! ;)**

**WYLIE**

HE WAS SITTING IN THE GOLD TOWER common room when Master Karen Glibly—the Beacon of the Gold Tower—entered with a dramatic flourish. "Attention prodigies!" he announced to the loud room. "I've just received a scroll from Eternalia." Immediately the entire room quieted. "Instructions mandate that the scroll be opened at precisely 9 o'clock, and no, I do not intend to disregard this request."

"But it's 8:58," one of Wylie's friends Koen complained. "Is it really that big a deal if we open it two minutes early?"

"Well if you don't think two minutes will matter to anyone else, two minutes shouldn't matter to you," Master Karen responded. "We'll wait to open it until the time designated by the Council. In the meantime, I have a few announcements to make." Wylie started zoning out almost immediately. Nothing Master Karen said was very interesting, although a scroll from the Council certainly spiced things up. The Council hadn't sent out mass scrolls since his mother, Cyrah, died eleven years ago.

Come to think of it, they usually sent out scrolls when deaths occurred. He wondered who it was this time. One of the ancients, finally succumbing to old age? Or maybe one of the strange Ruewens had finally kicked the bucket. Personally, he hoped it was one of the Council members. They deserved it for breaking his father's mind. And they didn't even have the decency to let the freaky Foster girl heal it. If they didn't let her heal it soon, he would be forced to take matters into his own hands. Meaning: sneak the Foster girl into Exile and break his dad out. Or maybe seek out the Black Swan. But they hadn't been or much help over the past twelve years. They'd just let his dad rot in a broken state. What made him think they could do anything now?

He hadn't really thought his Plan B through much, yet.

He was startled out of his own thoughts when Koen jumped up beside him and crowed, "It's 9 o'clock! On the dot!"

"Thank you, Mr. Copal," Master Karen said shortly. "The message follows: _As of yesterday, Alden Vacker has confirmed that Sophie Foster_"—Wylie perked up at this—"_and Dex Dizznee drowned in a tragic accident. A joint funeral will be held this afternoon in the Wanderling Woods for friends and family of the deceased._ That's all."

Wylie sat frozen for a moment. Sophie Foster couldn't be dead. She was his father's only chance to be healed. His dad had said she'd fix him!

He didn't realize he'd said it out loud until Master Karen said with genuine remorse, "I'm sorry, Mr. Endal, but the deaths have been verified by Alden Vacker. Their loss will be felt deeply by our community, especially as we've had so little time with them."

Wylie shot up and stalked out of the room, out of the tower.

"Mr. Endal! Prodigies are not permitted to leave the towers during the week. Mr. Endal!" Master Karen shouted after him, but he was already gone.

Wylie was halfway across the grounds before he realized the only place he wanted to go. He pulled out his pathfinder and leapt home.

Tiergan met him at the door.

"I assume you've heard the news?" Tiergan asked as Wylie brushed past him into the house.

He seemed to take Wylie's sullen silence as an answer.

"I truly am sorry. I know how much Sophie represented for you—"

"What am I supposed to do now?" Wylie demanded, collapsing onto their couch. "How am I supposed to fix my dad? Sophie was supposed to be the answer!"

"I'm sure the Black Swan had a backup plan for this situation—"

Wylie scoffed. "Like they've done anything helpful the past twelve years, except let my dad rot in Exile like a common criminal—"

"Wylie," Tiergan scolded. "You know that's not true."

"Then what have they been doing? Because I sure as hell haven't seen them so much as spare a moment for my dad."

Tiergan sighed. "What do you want me to say, Wylie? That you were right? Yes, Sophie was their plan for getting your dad out of Exile. But I'm sure that now, because that is no longer an option, they are investigating every angle

Wylie let the silence drag on a moment before sighing.

Tiergan sighed and sat heavily next to him. "I don't know."

Wylie slumped, all the energy leaving him. "I don't know either."

They sat that way until long after dusk fell.


	7. EDALINE

**Hey y'all. So sorry it's been so long since I updated. This chapter is not my favorite, but a certain someone is next. I'm super excited to write them, and judging from the comments, a few of you a super excited to read him. So there's this thing I started with Neverseen (My Version) where I respond to all the comments. Yay! Thank you all for reading, and ilysm! On to the comment thank you things!**

**RareSpecies: **_Thanks for reading and reviewing! Here's an update. :)_

**BookButterfly11: **_Okay, you are above and beyond the most helpful reviewer on this site. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such thoughtful reviews. I'm sorry I glossed over the planting, there's a more detailed flashback coming next chapter. It'll be long, I promise. Because I just love this character. So much. Seriously. Thanks again for reading and reviewing. You're the coolest!_

**Xylia Neo: **_You're probably right, but who knows? When I write it's kinda like I puke it onto the paper, and half the time I don't reread it before I post it. Didn't even notice it was in there until you said that. Oh well. Thanks for reading and reviewing all my stories! ;)_

**Skydancer8: **_Of course there's going to be a Fitz section. It wouldn't be a complete analysis unless I had a Fitz section. But that section hasn't happened yet, although I am SUPER excited to write it. And sorry about glossing over the funeral. As I said before, Edaline is not in her right mind, I'll come back to it next chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

**Gigi: **_Apparently. Because here it is._

**Guests: **_Please, find a name to distinguish yourselves with. I don't know if you've read Neverseen (My Version), but this was a huge issue with my other story. I want to properly thank you, but I can't. So you guys get your thank you as a group. Thanks for reading and reviewing! :)_

**Once again, thanks to all the readers, and a special thanks to everyone who reviewed. You're all pretty cool, and your reviews make my day. ;) Without further ado, Chapter Seven!**

**EDALINE**

Edaline stood on top of the small hill—where two saplings were soon to be planted—and smoothed her flawless emerald dress. It was a beautiful day, as if the heavens wanted to honor the two, too short lives that had been lost. As she reached up to fix her impeccable hair, Grady grabbed her hand. She was sure the unshed tears in his eyes were reflected in her own. "Eda…"

And that sent her over the top. A single tear made its way down her gaunt cheek, opening the floodgates for more. And she couldn't make herself care. What did it matter if Vika Heks saw her lose her composure. She'd just lost a daughter—for the second time. She was entitled to her grief.

Next to her, surrounded by her husband and the triplets, Edaline saw her sister similarly occupied through tearstained eyes. Abandoning her spot, she ran to her older sister and flung herself into her arms. She had to remember: as hard as this was for her, Juline had just lost a child for the first time. And while Jolie had been nearly twenty when she'd died, Dex was only thirteen. And Sophie, only twelve. At least now Edaline knew what to expect from her grief. It hurt just as bad—possibly worse—that the day she'd lost Jolie, the pain didn't take her by surprise. Instead she embraced it like an old friend. She became numb.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt herself led back to her side of the hill. She processed as the Councillors helped plant Sophie's tree. She robotically accepted condolences from acquaintances and strangers alike. And she was blissfully numb.

Until she met the eyes of Della Vacker.

Her oldest friend was a mess. Her makeup was smeared, her eyes were puffy, and she hadn't bothered to style her chocolate brown waves. "Eda…" she managed to squeak between sobs, then her words became unintelligible.

Edaline let her tears spill over again as well. Though it was untraditional, Della crossed the few feet between them and hugged Edaline tightly. "I'm…I'm here if you need—hic—anything."

"Thank you," Edaline sobbed. Over her friend's shoulder she saw Alden, Alvar, and Fitz shake Grady's hand, and Biana curtsy to the Councillors. She'd never seen the entire family so…disheveled. They all looked like they'd lost weight. And their usually vibrant teal eyes were sunken and flat.

"I'm so sorry," Della whispered into her ear. "I can't imagine the pain of losing one of my children, and to lose two…"

Edaline was too distraught to respond. Eventually, Alden guided his wife away, and the procession continued.

Edaline sunk back into her shell of grief, determined not to let anything pull her out again. She vaguely remembered shaking the hands of Cassius, Gisela, and Keefe Sencen. Even Vika and Timkin Heks showed up with Stina, although she hadn't spoken to them in ages. She hadn't seen or spoken to half the people that showed up since Jolie's death, and the realization brought on a whole new batch of tears.

She noticed everyone leaving, and then her gaze settled on three, bright red heads. No, she and her sister were not in the same boat. She'd lost everything. Everything. Two times! Juline still had three children left. Three children to love, and cherish, and call her own. Bitter jealousy bubbled up from Edaline's stomach and wound its way up her spine. She let out a primal, guttural scream and sank to her knees. The last thing she remembered was Elwin forcing her to drink. Then it all went black.


	8. KEEFE

**Hey! Sorry I haven't updated this fanfic in so long. Because I'm such a hard core Team Foster-Keefe shipper, I just wanted this chaperone to be perfect. And it's far from perfect. But, on the plus side, you get a double post! Yay! Now I'm going to hand the pen over to Keefe...;D.**

**KEEFE**

Keefe stood still as a statue in Candleshade's grand foyer as his mother adjusted his cape and smoothed his hair. Normally he wouldn't let her anywhere near his carefully disheveled uniform, or his elaborate hair, but even a week after learning of Sophie and Dex's tragic death he was still in shock. He couldn't seem to reconcile the reality of the world around him with the version in his mind. A version in which Sophie was alive and well, ballroom dancing with him in detention. A version in which Dex…well, he hadn't known Dex very well, had he?

Until a week ago, Keefe had thought he knew pain. When he was four he's fallen off the Vortinator and gotten a concussion. When he was nine, he'd jumped from a tree at Everglen while playing basequest with Fitz and broken an ankle. Only a year ago, he'd gotten slapped by Marilee Djinn in the face for wearing Kaylynn O'Hare's crush cuff instead of her own. But those moments paled in comparison to the raw anguish he was experiencing now.

When he'd heard the news that Sophie was dead, it had felt like a part of him died too. Like his very soul was ripping in half. He'd only known her a few months, but he'd felt a bond he'd never experienced with anyone else before. Whenever he thought about how he'd never see her smile light up another room, or how he'd never hear another of her cute laughs, or the detention dancing lessons they'd never get to partner for, it was like he'd been punched in the gut. Whenever he thought about the how she'd never get to graduate from Foxfire or apply for a matchmaker's scroll, it felt like he'd been kicked in the back of the head. Whenever he thought about the crush he'd never get to act on, it felt like he'd been stabbed through the heart. And every time he walked through the Level Six wing, or saw a particularly ornate cape, it felt like he was experiencing her death anew. So no, the Keefe Sencen of two weeks ago had no idea what true pain was. But he did now. And it weighed heavily on his heart.

He walked robotically down the pathway to the glass pyramid. He didn't bother searching for Fitz; his friend wouldn't be there. He didn't bother paying attention to the announcements; he just the crowd. And he didn't bother trying to skip class; it wasn't worth the energy.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Or is that Keefe Sencen actually deciding to grace my humble class with his presence?" Sir Cybelle made a faux shocked expression as Keefe walked in. "And to think I was ready to prep for my next prodigy during this period."

Keefe trudged over to the only seat in the classroom and sank down heavily. Resting his head on his arms, he prepared to zone out for another couple of hours. But his least favorite teacher somehow managed to surprise him.

Sir Cybelle heaved a sigh and knelt down next to Keefe's desk. Placing what was meant to be a comforting hand on Keefe's arm, he said, "I know that I can't possibly understand what you're going through," he said, "but I want you to know that if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you."

It was a sweet gesture, but it was completely wasted on Keefe. He rubbed his forehead, too exhausted to leave the class, like he usually would. "Thank you, Sir Cybelle. But that won't be necessary."

Sir Cybelle stood quickly, making Keefe jump slightly. "I get it. You're the big, tough guy on campus. The class clown. But I also get that it's an act, and you can't keep it up forever. I just want you to know that we, the faculty, are here for you in this turbulent time as we all grieve the loss of one of our own. If you ever need to vent—"

"Stop pretending like you care!" Keefe snapped, interrupting Sir Cybelle's monologue. "One of my best friends is dead! _DEAD!_ At only twelve-years-old. And I'm so sick and tired of everyone pretending to be upset about her death. None of you knew her! None of you have a right to grieve! And none of you can even begin to comprehend what I'm experiencing right now; what this kind of loss feels like."

"I assure you, as a Mentor I know much more than—"

"You know much more than what?" Keefe laughed bitterly. "Much more than me? Much more than my petty, childish brain can even begin to understand? Well tell me one thing, Sir Cybelle," Keefe practically spat. "Have you ever had the power to stop a death before it happened? And have you ever not used that power when you had the chance? Because I have, and every single day I'm reminded of my mistake. My mistake that resulted in the death of not one but two elves I considered close friends." Keefe stood up and grabbed his bag. "I don't know why I even bothered to come," he muttered as he stalked out the door. The BOOM! of the slamming door reverberated through the otherwise silent room.


	9. STINA

**Springgirl: **_OMG I don't think you understand how excited I am to write the Fitz chapter. Even though I can't tell you when it's going to be, I can tell you it's coming up soon! Eeeeeeeeeeeck! And I'm so sorry, but I'm only doing one chapter from the point of view of each character. And the Edaline chapter made you cry? Really? Aww, thank you so much! I'll try to make the next chapter just as touching. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

**Crazy keeper: **_That was Keefe and Fitz is coming up, I promise. I'm glad you like this fanfic, and I hope you enjoyed these two new chapters! Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

**Kari2678: **_Here's an update for ya! ;) Thank you for reading, reviewing, and enjoying!_

**SarakMay: **_Why does everyone want a Fitz POV so badly?! I promise, guys, he's coming up soon. Thank you for reading and reviewing! :)_

**Daringwolf2000: **_Sorry! I didn't even try to make it a cliffhanger. It just turned out that way. But if it makes you more excited to read, I guess it has accomplished my goal. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!_

** : **_Obvi, you shoud ship Team Foster-Keefe. I'm sorry, but I just can't be impartial. That said, I think my Keefe chapter sucked compared to what I'm planning for the Fitz chapter. I'm starting this new story that I'll be posting soon, and it's totally Team Foster-Keefe. You should read it and be convinced to join our shipdom! (is shipdom a thing? I mean, what else am I supposed to call it?) Anyways, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! :)_

**Guest:**_Updated! ;)_

**ForeverFreeFall:**_Hey! Thanks for LOVING it so much! LOVE your stories too!_

**BookButterfly11: **_Aww, I always love reading your review. Sorry that everyone's kinda OOC. The only reason I really wrote this was to write the Fitz chapter. Everyone else is kinda building up to that AWESOME moment! So be prepared because your socks might be knocked off! In order to be used as tissues. I'm crying writing it right now. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, and you are my favorite person right now! _

**STINA**

_Dear Diary,_ Stina started writing. _Today the Council sent scrolls to everyone in the Lost Cities, with instructions to open at exactly 9 am. Of course, my parents and I opened ours as soon as the messenger left, but that's because the Council's rule is old and ineffective. What's the use of knowing information if you can't know it before anyone else?_

She read over her work. It looked good so far. With stony determination, she continued.

_Anyways, there was a big storm last week. Sophie Foster and Dex Dizznee were down in the caves around Havenfield's small beach when a tidal wave swept in and pulled them out to sea. Alden Vacker and his search party found their registry pendants at the bottom of the ocean early a week or so ago. He called it, "a terrible accident" and "a tragedy our world won't soon forget." And I agree. Even though Sophie and Dex got on my nerves sometimes, they didn't deserve to die. I might actually miss them._

Stina bit her pencil's silver eraser and stared at her diary page. Nope, too sappy. With an elaborate eye roll and an especially guttural groan she tore the page out and tried again.

_Sophie Foster and Dex Dizznee died too young. They were only __thirteen__twelve__twelve/thirteen_

Even worse. How did she not know how old they were? How long had she been going to school with Dex? Another crumpled up page landed on the floor next to the garbage can.

_Two kids died a couple days ago. Sophie Foster and Dex Dizznee. They were super annoying, but…_

Stina ripped page after page after page out until she was so frustrated she threw her pencil across the room with an infuriated shriek. Why did she feel like this? She hated Dex! And she especially hated Sophie! But it wasn't like they'd deserved to die.

"Ugh. Why are relationships so complicated?" she asked out loud, rolling over and looking up at her canopied ceiling. But she had to get this down. When she was famous and millennia old, people would want to read her thoughts on every little detail of life. And this was a pretty big detail. So she grabbed a new pencil and stubbornly tried again.

_Dear Diary~_

_If anyone asks, I'll deny everything. Absolutely everything. So don't go trying to humanize me. But to be honest, Foxfire's been boring ever since Sophie and the Dizznee died. I sort of miss them. But I miss them in the same way I'd miss school. It's like, while it's there it seems like the most annoying thing ever, but once it's gone…I don't know what to do with my life. Who else am I supposed to tease about their bad match parents or freaky eyes? Everyone else is too depressed about their deaths to respond to my jokes, or they don't care about anything in general._

_And they were only in Level Two at Foxfire. Think of what they could have accomplished. Well, Sophie could have accomplished. Dex probably would have created some kind of serum that covers you in a permanent green slime. But Sophie, she was already one of the most accomplished Telepaths in our world, according to the speech Councillor Kenric gave at her funeral. She could have…I don't know, become our best Keeper or Emissary or something. Like Alden Vacker. Only, more talented. _

_Gah! You don't have any idea how hard that is for me to say. Until her funeral, I thought Sophie was just another Talentless freak. But to think she manifested before me. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous. I bet I'll manifest soon. Hopefully, I'll be a Vanisher. That would be exciting. Vanishing is the most sophisticated ability. I wouldn't mind being an Empath either. In fact, I bet that's what I'll be. Following in my mother's, and my grandmother's, and my great-grandmother's, and my great great-grandmother's—etc.—footsteps. _

_Back to the subject at hand. Sophie Foster and Dex Dizznee didn't deserve to die. They will forever have a place in __my__ our memories._

_Sincerely,_

_Stina Heks_

Stina read over the diary entry one more time. 'Yep,' she thought. 'It's perfect.' After carefully placing her diary in the top drawer of her desk, she crawled into her plush canopied bed and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	10. FITZ

**FITZ**

HE WAS SITTING AT THE dinner table the first time he heard it. Heard her. Sophie. In his head. He practically jumped out of his own skin.

_Please._

It reverberated around his skull as he tried to ignore it, stabbing through his mental barriers and right to his core. It was strange, how it felt so real. It felt like she was right there next to him, talking to him. He knew it was just a figment of his imagination, still he couldn't help but turn his head to look over his shoulder.

He mentally slapped himself for his gullibility. Elwin had told him this might happen, that he might start hearing her voice in his head at random times when something reminded him of her. But that was all it was, a hallucination. She was dead. He'd never see her again. He'd never again see her walking through the halls of Foxfire. Never again battle it out with her during the Ultimate Splotching Championship. Never again talk with her. Except in his head.

_Fitz._

Gosh, he was really going crazy, wasn't he? Even though he knew it wasn't real, her voice filled his mind, laced with fear and panic.

_Please, Fitz. I need your help. If you can follow my voice, please find me._

'But you're dead,' he thought, and he couldn't stop the pain that came with it. It felt like he couldn't breathe, like missing Sophie was a physical weight that pushed down on his chest, threatening to suffocate him if he didn't move on. If he didn't try to forget.

_I'm not dead—yet. Please, they're going to kill us._

'Who, Sophie?' he thought. 'Who? Where are you?'

But there was no answer.

A violent pain ripped through his stomach, forcing him to double over with a wheeze and stealing his breath. Thinking of her dead was like a physical punch to the groin. Yep, it was definitely his imagination. He'd always had a thing for damsels in distress, and this was no different. Like Elwin had said, it was just his brain, trying to make it easier to cope with the grief of her loss.

"Fitz?" his mother asked, pulling him out of his trance. "Are you alright?"

Fitz shook his head, dispelling the echo. He had to stop imagining that she was miraculously still alive. Sophie and the Dizznee kid were dead. And there was absolutely nothing he could do to change it.

Suddenly unexplainably angry, Fitz slammed his chair back and stood with much more force than necessary. "I'll be in my room," he growled. He didn't remember what happened next. All he could remember was uncontrollable rage. Why hadn't he been there? Why had he let her leave Foxfire that day? Why hadn't he gone after her? He could have delayed her long enough that the storm would have been too bad for her to go down to the caves. He could have helped somehow. He could have _saved her life_! But now she was dead, and it was all his fault.

His rage dissipated just as quickly as it had appeared. He slumped down onto the ground and sobbed, allowing himself to lose his composure, just for a moment. He missed her. She had been his friend. He'd been the one to find her, the one to rip her away from her human family, the one to comfort her when she had to get checked by Elwin. And because he'd done that, she'd died. If he'd never found her, if he'd just left her alone once he saw her eyes, maybe she would still be alive. Maybe he wouldn't hurt this much.

For just one moment he let himself miss her, even though he didn't deserve to.

When he was done, he was so exhausted he could barely open his eyes. Stumbling blindly over to his desk, he tripped over random objects he couldn't even remember throwing. But one small purple dinosaur caught his eye. It was the tiny purple Albertosaurus she'd given him at midterms. He picked the small toy off his floor and hugged it to his chest.

The next thing he remembered was waking up on the floor with something jabbing uncomfortably into his cheek. Wiping bleary eyes he sat up and squinted at his clock. 1:18. What had woken him up?

_Please! Please help us!_

It took him a moment to understand that the voice was in his head, and another to identify it as Sophie. Was he really that desperate? Imagining fake telepathic conversations instead of accepting her death?

He laid on the floor, reluctantly hopeful, and waited for another transmission. But there was only silence. Fitz stood up and got dressed in his uniform. It had been 10 days since Sophie's death. He had to go back to school, or he'd fail his finals. And that wasn't something Sophie would have wanted. He could almost imagine her telling him to get up and do something with his life.

He walked through school like a robot, hardly caring about the looks of pity all the students and mentors gave him when they thought he wasn't looking. At least he didn't have to care about how well he did. His mentors would pity pass him if they had to, but Fitz knew that none of his them would allow him to flunk out after what had happened.

He couldn't wait to get home so he could curl up in his bed and stop feeling for a few hours.

Then, on the way to his room from the Leapmaster…BAM! He heard it again. _Please, Fitz. _He fell against the wall, grabbing his temples as the volume of her voice simultaneously triggered stomach cramps and massive headache. Her voice was so loud this time he couldn't ignore it. But he still tried to. Sophie was dead. He had to accept that. The fact that he was hearing voices meant nothing. It just meant that he was going crazy. _We're in Paris—Pont Alexandre III. We need help. Tell your dad and please hurry!_

'I must be some kind of masochist,' he thought as his heart split into a million pieces, so many he would never be able to put himself back together. Every time he imagined her voice it reopened the wounds of the day he'd been told she was dead, made them ache more sharply than he'd thought possible. How was he supposed to move on from her death if his brain kept fabricating excuses for him to hear her? If his own mind betrayed him every time he experienced a little bit of deja vu?

_Please listen to me. I'm not dead—but I might be if you don't come. Please send help._

"Stop it!" he screamed, tears running down his cheeks as he wrapped his arms around his stomach, trying to hold himself together. "Shut up! Shut up! _Shut up_!"

Hands grabbed him, pressing on his face and restraining his arms as he screamed and sobbed. He opened his eyes, but his they were too full with tears to see anything but blobs of color. He thrashed against them, trying to escape, but he was pinned. He couldn't move.

Slowly—slowly—he calmed himself down and the blurs above him sharpened into shapes and then people. Biana and his mother were each holding a leg and his father had pinned his arms and upper body under his own. When he stilled his mother let out a sob and embraced him, tears shining in her eyes.

When his mother finally let go, his father's eyes were moist with pain and Biana's eyes were puffy and red, her cheeks streaked with tiny rivers of salty tears.

"What can we do?" his mother asked. She pressed her shaking hands into fists and lowered them to her sides. "If I could just take all your pain I would, but…"

Fitz pulled his mother into a hug. "Can you call Keefe for me please?" Fitz asked quietly as he buried his head in her shoulder.

"Of course," his mother said. She hugged him back fiercely, as if she could put his broken pieces back together if she could only squeeze tight enough. He sank into her embrace, needing to feel something other than broken for just a few heartbeats.

"I'll be in my room," he muttered as he pulled away, not bothering to look up from the floor as he fled.

He collapsed into the chair at his desk, putting his head in his hands and feeling more lost than he'd ever felt before. "I miss you, Sophie. More and more every day." He wasn't sure who he was telling, but it made his heart ache a little less.

Then, as if he'd summoned her, his head filled with the sound of her voice.

_It's Sophie, Fitz. Dex is hurt and I'm too weak to help him. Please come. I can't hold on much longer…_

He turned and looked around his room. Why couldn't he just forget?

_Please, Fitz. I need your help._

He turned away and grabbed the tiny purple Albertosaurus, and the note she'd given him with it. 'I went to your funeral,' he thought, not strong enough to ignore his delusions even though his heart broke a little more every second.

_I'm not dead—not yet. I need your help. _

Fitz's door opened behind him, but he barely heard it over the sound of her voice.

_Please, Fitz. You have to come. Before it's too late._

"Hey, dude," Keefe said quietly, tentatively, from behind him. "How're ya holding up?"

_There's a tree here, Fitz. Part of it has green leaves and part of it has flowers and part of it has snow. It's huge. If you know where that is, please hurry._

Then an image filled his mind. It was just as she'd described, as though each section had been cut from a different part of the world and sewn back together again.

He was so surprised he instinctively projected it onto his wall, before his mind could forget it.

"That's the Four Seasons Tree," Keefe gasped. "In Luminaria. But what…?"

_I'm so tired. Please help us. We don't have much time._

Fitz grabbed his head and yelled as loud as he could. Gentle hands rubbed his back, and he opened his eyes to see Biana, concern evident in her wide eyes. "Fitz, what's going on?" Keefe asked.

"I've been hearing Sophie's voice in my head," he admitted, simultaneously embarrassed that he was admitting it, and angry that his subconscious was giving him false hope. What if she actually was alive? But he couldn't afford to think like that. She was already dead. "And I've been trying to ignore it, but then this image popped into my head. I've never seen the Four Season's Tree! I didn't even know what it was until you said that. How could I have just projected it with that much accuracy?"

"Dude, what if she's not dead?" Keefe asked, getting animated. "What if she actually needs our help?"

"It couldn't hurt to check," Biana agreed. "And this way we'll know for sure either way."

That was all it took. "Come on!" he yelled at Keefe, and then he took off, racing through the mansion toward the Leapmaster like there was a pack of rabid sabertooth tigers on his heels.

He vaguely heard Keefe and Biana pounding after him, but his mind was too focused on his epiphany. Sophie was alive. He was sure of it. And she needed his help.

"Luminaria!" he yelled. Heartbeats were measured in hours as the crystal dropped. As soon as the beam of light appeared he stepped in, two hands grabbing his at the last moment.

"Where is it?" he yelled at Keefe as they glittered into existence.

"Here!" Keefe took off down a side street and Fitz followed, Biana on his heels as they raced through the city.

First he saw Dex.

_No!_

Sophie's voice echoed in his head, but he didn't pay any attention. The Dizznee was sprawled out on the grass beneath the tree, utterly still although Fitz could see no external wounds. But where was…?

His heart nearly stopped when he saw her. Or rather, what was left of her. Bile rose in his throat as he sprinted toward what remained of his friend. She was completely transparent in some places, and in others her skin was so milky white she looked like she was made of marble. When he reached her side her bleary eyes opened to reveal dull, pale grey irises.

_I'm sorry I couldn't wait for you to get here, Fitz. I tried._

"Call Elwin!" he screamed as he dropped to her side. He grabbed her hand, but it was so faded it was barely tangible. "Sophie! Sophie!" She didn't move.

He was vaguely aware of Keefe grabbing Dex and light leaping away next to him, and Biana screaming into her imparter, but nothing mattered except the ghostly form in front of him.

Without another thought he put his hands on her temples and pushed into her mind.

He was so surprised when he made it past her defenses he almost pulled back. But he was on a mission. Sophie was counting on him. She needed him.

_Sophie,_ he transmitted._ Sophie, can you hear me? Sophie._

He repeated the call until her body shivered in his hands and he drew her up into his arms.

"Sophie," Fitz said, transmitting it and saying it out loud at the same time. "Sophie, can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me."

Her body was deathly still, but then her voice filled his mind.

_I'm here._

He laughed, unable to control his relief. "Everything is going to be okay," he whispered, stroking her hair back from her forehead. "You're safe now. Just stay with me, okay?"

_I'll try._

He sighed with relief, gently setting her back down so that her head rested on his knees.

_Dex!_

"Dex is fine," Fitz promised. "Keefe leaped him to Everglen, and Biana left to get Elwin. We weren't sure if it was safe to move you." His voice hitched at the end.

_Thank you for coming._

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I didn't want to believe you could still be . . . get my hopes up if . . ." He choked on the words. "I finally told Keefe and Biana about it, and they convinced me to come. If I'd come sooner, maybe…"

_You're here now._

"I just hope I'm not too late," he whispered, his heart breaking at her trust.

"Where is she?" Elwin barked, and Fitz looked up with tears in his eyes. Elwin gasped. "Fitz, open her mouth."

Fitz pulled gently pulled on her chin, and Elwin poured a silver vial of pale blue liquid down her throat.

"Try to swallow, Sophie," Elwin ordered.

_No! _her mental voice echoed through his head.

"It's okay, Sophie," Fitz whispered.

"Don't fight the medicine," Elwin added. "Your body isn't ready to be awake. I promise it will be okay."

He knew she would be scared. So he transmitted _You're going to be okay_. _Just sleep._

For the next week he barely left her side. Every hour he sprayed a bit of Fade Fuel for her to breathe in. Dex, Keefe, and Biana all stopped by at different times, and her slightly creepy and extremely intimidating new bodyguard, Sandor, joined him a day after Sophie'd been moved to Everglen, but none of them felt Fitz's guilt. If she died, it would be his fault. He should have stopped her from going into the caves. He shouldn't have let the Dizznee chase after her, he should have gone himself. It should have been him. He would have been able to save her. And if he hadn't, he would have protected her from the kidnappers. He wouldn't have gotten shot by a melder like some other idiot he knew.

But hindsight was a dangerous game to play.

His mother forced him away once, and of course, that was the time Sophie chose to wake up. But still, regardless of when she woke up, he was glad she was safe and healed.


	11. EPILOGUE

**EPILOGUE**

COOL TINGLES ACROSS HER forehead pulled her back to reality, and Sophie took deep breaths, luxuriating in the rise and fall of her chest. She'd forgotten how wonderful it was to breathe.

"That's my girl," someone whispered. She knew the voice, but her foggy mind couldn't place it.

Something touched her lips and she parted them, gulping the cool wetness that poured into her mouth. She wanted to drink forever, but the liquid stopped. Her face twisted in protest.

"I know," the voice said, "but you have to give your stomach a chance to adjust. It's been empty for a long time now."

She wanted to argue, but her stomach cramped as the cold liquid hit it. Her body contorted.

"Can't you give her anything for the pain?" another voice asked from somewhere nearby.

"I need her to feel right now, so I can check her progress. Then I can numb her again."

"No," she begged, horrified at her strangled voice. She'd had enough sedative to last a lifetime. "No medicine."

"Shhh," he whispered, rubbing balm into her dry lips. "I won't give you any medicine, I promise. Now please, lay still before you wear yourself out."

"Okay." She forced her eyes open, squinting in the light. A round face with dark messy hair hovered over her. The iridescent spectacles gave him away.

"Elwin," she whispered.

Tears pooled in his eyes. "I can't tell you how good it is to hear you say that. Bullhorn's been sleeping next to you for two weeks. We were starting to lose hope. But yesterday he moved, and now here you are."

Someone sniffled behind her.

"Alden?" she asked, recognizing the other voice she'd heard.

"I'm here," he whispered, stepping into her line of sight and taking her hand.

"You up for a few visitors?" Elwin asked.

"Sure," she whispered. Alden propped her up with a pillow, and she realized she was at Everglen, in the room she'd stayed in her first night as an elf. Outside she could hear some murmured debate over who should see her first, and then Fitz rushed to her side.

She swallowed back tears as she met his eyes. "Thanks for bringing me back."

Before he could reply, Biana raced into the room, threw her arms around her, and burst into tears. "I'm so sorry, Sophie. My dad wanted you around more so he could keep an eye on you, so he told me to reach out to you—but I really am your friend and then you were gone and . . ." Her voice trailed into sobs.

"It's okay," Sophie whispered, and she meant it. If Biana cared enough to rescue her—cared enough to cry—that was enough. "Forget about it, okay? We're still friends."

Biana sniffled and pulled back to meet her eyes. "Really?"

"Really."

"All right, enough girly drama," Keefe said, shoving his way in. "I was part of the rescue too, remember? I'm the one who knew the tree you told Fitz about was the Four Seasons Tree, so if it weren't for me . . ." He faltered as he seemed to realize he was talking about her dying.

"Thank you, Keefe." She smiled to show him she didn't mind.

He shrugged. "Anytime. And by the way, you're a Telepath? I think that proves once and for all that you're definitely the Most. Mysterious. Girl. Ever." His face darkened. "My dad was very smug when he heard you'd been training with Tiergan. He always has to be right. And this time he was."

Sophie's eyes darted to Alden.

"It's okay. You won't have to hide it anymore. In fact, everyone seems to know every detail that's happened these past few months." He shot a meaningful glance at Keefe.

Great. Everyone knew what a freak she was.

Though it was kind of a relief. No more hiding. No more lying. Her friends would stand by her—and the others? She wasn't sure she cared.

"Things are changing," Alden added. "But we'll talk about that later. Right now you should rest."

"Not without this," Fitz said, handing her a bright blue elephant.

"Ella!" Sophie buried her face between the floppy ears, ignoring Keefe's snickers. She'd been through too much to care about being teased. She met Fitz's eyes, melting when he smiled at her. "Thank you guys for rescuing me."

"Just get better, okay?" Keefe ordered. "School wasn't the same without you. No explosions or emergencies. Boring."

"I'll try," she promised.

And if you need anything, you know how to reach me, Fitz transmitted.

Sophie gasped. "How?"

Fitz grinned. I have no idea. I slipped in when you were fading, and now it's easy.

Does that mean you can read my mind? she asked, preparing to die of embarrassment if he could.

He shook his head. I can only transmit. Pretty cool though, huh?

She nodded, trying not to worry about what might've happened to her brain to cause that kind of change.

"Hey—no secret telepathic conversations, you two—or I'll have to assume you guys are flirting!" Keefe laughed as they both flushed and looked anywhere but at each other.

"I think Dex is going to explode if I don't let him in," Elwin interrupted.

Dex burst through the door, and Sophie's breath caught in her throat. He looked perfect—not a scratch on him.

We'll see you later, Fitz promised as he pulled Keefe and Biana out with him.

Dex stomped past them. "Next time you try to rescue me, concentrate a little more on yourself, okay? You almost died because of me."

"Actually, you almost died because of me. Twice," she reminded him, her voice shaking as she tried not to think about his blank eyes after the melder blasts.

He bit his lip. "Call it even?"

"Deal."

He leaned forward like he wanted to hug her, then noticed Alden and Elwin and backed off. He squeezed her hand, color streaking his cheeks. "You're really okay?"

"Yeah. Just a little tired. How about you? Did the melder do any damage?" Her eyes searched for tiny injuries she might've missed from far away.

"Nothing Elwin couldn't fix. And nothing like what happens when you leap with all your concentration wrapped around someone else. Do you have any idea how dumb that was?"

"What was I supposed to do? My concentration's weak as it is, and you were injured."

"Actually, your concentration isn't weak at all," Alden corrected.

"Dex didn't lose a single cell in the leap," Elwin agreed. "If you'd kept a little more of that concentration for yourself, you wouldn't have faded, and I wouldn't have had to spend two weeks trying to bring the color and life back to a half-drained body."

"Sorry," she mumbled, cringing at the words "half-drained." "But . . . my nexus was barely at the half. Dex, you saw it. How could my concentration be strong?"

"We'll talk later," Alden said. "Right now you need to rest."

He pulled the blankets around her shoulders, and she snuggled Ella, wondering why Fitz had her. She'd left Ella at Havenfield. "Did Grady and Edaline come to see me?" she whispered, hating herself for hoping they had.

"They haven't left since Fitz found you. You have no idea what they've been going through these past three and a half weeks."

"Three and a half weeks?"

"You've been gone a long time, Sophie. They're waiting outside, but they understand if you don't want to see them."

Emotion caught in her throat and she cleared it away. As much as they'd hurt her, as angry as she'd been, she couldn't shut them out—not after everything she'd been through. "You can send them in," she whispered.

Alden squeezed her shoulder and led Dex toward the door. Dex waved as two gaunt figures crept into the room.

Sophie blinked. "Grady? Edaline?" She barely recognized them. They looked like they hadn't eaten or slept or changed clothes in weeks.

Edaline covered her trembling lips and raced to Sophie, crawling into the bed to hold her so tight it was almost hard to breathe. Grady dropped to his knees on the floor beside them, squeezing Sophie's arm.

"I'll just . . . give you guys a minute," Elwin said, fleeing the scene as they all started crying.

Grady cleared his throat and wiped his eyes. "Sorry, we don't want to wear you out. It's just a little overwhelming to get you back. We went to your funeral. . . ."

Another sob shook Edaline's shoulders before she released Sophie and pulled herself up, squeezing Sophie's hands. "Losing you was one of the hardest things I've ever endured," she whispered, "but the worst part was knowing that you had no idea how much you mean to us."

Grady squeezed both of their hands.

"We never wanted to love anyone again after we lost Jolie," Edaline whispered. "But we love you, Sophie. You're just as much our daughter as she was. We need you to know that—not because we want you to forgive us, but because you deserve to know."

"Canceling your adoption was the worst mistake we've ever made," Grady added. "You'll always have a home with us at Havenfield, but we understand if you want to stay with Alden and Della. We just hope you'll come visit sometime. Let us be a tiny part of your life—even if we don't deserve it."

Sophie nodded, too overwhelmed to say anything other than, "Thanks." But when Edaline kissed her cheek and Grady stroked her hair, she added, "I love you guys too."

They both smiled, and even though they were still thin and tired, they looked more like themselves. Edaline kissed her cheek again.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Grady pulled a tiny furball out of his pocket.

"Iggy!"

Iggy flitted to her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek. Sophie gagged. "Ugh, I forgot about Iggy breath." She scratched his fuzzy head, and his crackly purr filled the room. "Thanks for your help in the cave, little man."

Edaline sniffled. "He did come and find us. Took us a while to figure out what he wanted, and by the time we got down to the caves there'd been a huge wave and . . ." Her voice vanished.

Sophie squeezed her hand. "I'm safe." She tried to believe the words were true.

Grady stood up as she yawned. "We'll let you sleep."

She didn't want to sleep after losing so much time, but her body demanded it, and by the time Grady pulled the blankets around her and switched off the lights, she was already asleep, with Iggy snoring like a chain saw beside her.


End file.
